In mid-October on a sunny day we hiked 9 km through the Six Mile Hills.    Along the way were a few late-blooming wildflowers and colorful shrubs.   We spotted only one salsify (Trapogon dubius).    We have been seeing flowers from April to October this year.

On sunny and dry rocky south-facing slopes there were many silverleaf phacelia (Phacelia hastata) with their distinctive silvery, hairy leaves in a double rosette shape.

A single flowering stephanomeria (Stephanomeria tenuifolia) was flowering on the dry slopes.    It is sometimes called narrow-leaved wire-lettuce.

Older ponderosa pine snags display the spiral growth pattern characteristic of pines and junipers.

On dry slopes sumac shrubs (Rhus glabra) displayed bright red leaves.

Rabbit-brush (Chrisothamnus nauseosus) was abundant, displaying dense terminal yellow clusters.

Yellow sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis) was almost finished flowering for the year, except in some sheltered areas.

The hike finished around Pat Lake where we walked past colorful rushes and orange crustose lichens back to the parking area.   Another fine day in the hills…